A/N: It's finally here! We're back with the second part of Day 2! Sorry about the long break, but like I said there was a lot going on for me.

Wilhelmina "Will" Forbes – District 8
14:00

"Thanks for the water earlier, by the way," I say to Hen. As the day goes on it's getting more and more difficult to make conversation. Hen seems to be totally zoned out sometimes. I always wonder what she's thinking about.

"No problem." My ally responds. She stands up and looks around. "It's probably about afternoon, so maybe I should find some more food?" We managed to collect some blackberries earlier, but only a handful and they barely sustained us. I nod. "Yeah, good idea. I'll get some more water."

Getting to my feet, I pick up the small stone we're using to transport the water. Hen managed to hack away at it with a bigger stone to create a small dip which holds only a bit, but enough for a mouthful or two. It's much better than her strip of cloth at least, which turned out not to be as waterproof as we thought it was. My own jacket is hanging on a pine branch, since the sun became a little stronger a few hours ago. Anyway, the less burdens the more we can do.

I walk through the trees, following the narrow path that Hen showed me. Finally I reach the bubbling stream and kneel down, shifting as the mud soaks into my leggings. I manage to grab a little water with the stone, then I drink some awkwardly, refill it and hurry back to our camp.

When I arrive back, Hen's there. She's holding a few small brown nuts in her hand, and as I approach, she holds them out. "Pine nuts," she says. "Edible…I'm pretty sure. I learned about them in training."

I nod. "OK, great. Here's the water." We exchange and Hen downs it before setting down the stone. I pick up one of the nuts. "Are you sure these are safe?" I ask.

Hen nods without looking up. She's gathering up a pile of twigs and sticks, maybe to make a fire.

I put the first pine nut in my mouth and bite down. It tastes bitter and metallic, but palatable. I eat two more, forcing them down, before handing the two left to Hen.

Seating myself on the ground next to her, I think about what's going to happen over the next few days. Obviously we can't stay in this cosy, safe alliance forever. One or both of us will have to die eventually.

The thought makes me shiver. "I-I'll get some more sticks," I say.

Zachary Hillman – District 5
14:20

My eyes open slowly and I look around, feeling dizzy and sick. Everything's blurry and faded, like a foggy window. I rub my eyes and they clear a little, but my vision is still terrible.

I must have fallen asleep…I wince as a sharp pain stabs through my leg. Obviously my wound hasn't healed at all. I don't dare to try and stand, so I lean against the tree behind me and close my eyes again.

What am I going to do? Am I just going to die?

The question seems too scary to be real. I've watched people dying on a screen all my life, but now, now that it's me, it's surreal. I can't die this soon…but what day is it? Day four? Day three? I can't remember. Everything's melding together in my mind, I can't pick out any details. My memory's fuzzy and uncertain.

Sitting up, I swallow and become awared of how dry my throat is. I need…water? Yes, water. Water. How can I get water? I need food too, now that I think of it. Suddenly, I realize how vulnerable I am out here.

If I just gave up now, what would happen? Would anyone care, apart from my family back home? I imagine myself in the nightly hologram: Zachary Hillman, District…

Panic grips my chest. Which District am I from? I can't…can't remember. District Six? Seven? Five? No, no, it's…Ten?

I look down at my wound. The bandage is dark red and blood is still trickling from my leg. I need to get rid of the blood but I know I can't do anything else. I'm getting far too weak. I need to move around, maybe, or get food and water, but I can't stand up, and even crawling seems impossible.

I unwrap the bandage hesitantly, fearing what my wound might look like. The sight is even worse than I thought. It's a festering cut, caked in dried blood and some kind of sickly pus oozing out. I gulp back the bile in my throat and then squint as the weak sunlight catches something glinting in the cut.

Peering closer and holding my nose at the smell, I spot a tiny piece of metal sticking out from the wound. The area around it is awful, swollen and blistered. I sit back and cover my face with my hands. It must be from the sword, somehow, the end must have chipped off.

Infection. Blood poisoning. The words ring out in my head and I can't block them out. This is my end. This has to be my end. Unless someone sends me a healing package, I have no way out of this. Or do I? I try desperately to think of something that could help. Amputation is common in the Hunger Games, especially for things like this…or was it using an icepack to make it cold? I can't remember, because again all the thoughts are merging together.

I need to act fast. I have no time to lose. But right now, I can't do anything. All I can do is sit here and wait for death to come and take me.

Hypatia Diamond – District 1
15:55

"We should really be building a fire by now," I say, rubbing my hands together. The sun has disappeared and a chilly wind blows across the grass clearing.

"We should really have killed some more tributes too, by now," Shailene says snappily, continuing to pace up and down the entrance of the Cornucopia. She's restless and nervous, constantly twirling her stupid little throwing knives and irritating me with her rude, unnecessarily snarky comments and quips. Honestly, why can't she just keep her opinions to herself?

"Hey! Guys, look at this!" Lysander says suddenly after a few seconds of silence. I turn to see him bent over his sword. There's a curling piece of paper in his hands.

"It's…it's some kind of instruction manual or something…" Lysander scans the paper quickly, then begins to read out snippets. By now we've all crowded around to take a look.

"To whoever has chosen this sword," Lysander reads out, "they are more lucky than they think. Inside the blade of this sword, there is a lethal poison that is expelled on impact with flesh. Symptoms of the illness caused by this poison are long-term memory loss, severe fatigue and a high infection rate on wounds…" Lysander's eyes widen. "This is absolutely perfect. Amazing."

"So, a poison sword?" Pavati asks. "That's cool, I guess, but like Shailene said, we need to actually start getting some kills in before those weirdos from 10 start to take the upper hand. Come on, guys, we should go out tribute-hunting or something. It's so boring being stuck here."

Scyllas raises his eyebrows at her. "Aren't you even a bit excited about this?" He turns back to Lysander. "Where'd you find the paper, anyway?"

"I accidently unscrewed the hilt and this was inside it. A good hiding place." Lysander doesn't take his eyes off the paper. "It also says that there's an antidote to the poison in the Cornucopia somewhere-"

"Look, Pavati's right, we're spending too much time talking about this stupid sword and not putting it into action!" Shailene says, grabbing the piece of paper from Lysander and scrunching it into a ball. She throws it into the Cornucopia.

Lysander stands up. "Enough of your shit, Shailene. I think we've all had enough of it. Why can't you just co-operate with us for once?"

Shailene folds her arms and glares up at him. I glance nervously at Pavati, wondering if a fight will ensue. Sure, it would be great if Shailene died, but not now. We still need her as the main killer in our group. Before I can say anything, Johnathan stands and grabs Lysander's arm. "Just leave it. We don't need the manual anyway."

For a moment, Lysander looks furious, then he nods stiffly and seats himself once more. The tension between him and Shailene is palpable.

It's going to be a long night.

Corren Faleaf – District 9
16:04

I rub my hands, shivering as a biting wind whistles through the trees. I wish I had some warmer clothing, but obviously the Gamemakers didn't want to make it easy. Who am I kidding, the Hunger Games are never easy.

For a day and a half, I've been camped out in a small clearing, working on a shelter for myself. I guess if I can hide out here for a while, then maybe everyone will just forget about me. That would be great. Then I could gather some food or water or even go back to the Cornucopia…if the Careers aren't there. Which they probably are. Darn it.

I'm thirsty, tired and hungry, but luckily I managed to grab a backpack at the Bloodbath. After looking inside, I found some bandages, a few pieces of bread (which I have already eaten) and an empty water bottle. But these supplies don't help much. What I really need is a weapon.

The rustling of the pine branches makes me jump, but I quickly pull myself together and roll my eyes. It's just the wind, Corren. Nothing to be scared of. You're fine.

Obviously I'm not fine. No-one is.

I stand up shakily and look around once more. No, nobody's here but me. I have to stop myself from going crazy out here or else I'll never survive. I need food, I need water, and I also need an ally. That's been one of my plans since the Bloodbath, now I've realized how hard it really is.

I think about the tributes left. How many are there? I have no idea, but I try to remember who they are. I know there's those twins from 10, but I don't trust them at all. That boy from 5…Zach? Maybe. But he seemed to be allies with his District partner in training, so maybe not.

Then I remember Vita. Oh. And didn't she want to be allies from the very start? It all seems so far away now, but I'm sure she spoke about it once. Maybe I could try and find her. If she's not dead already. I heard the cannon earlier.

OK. I know what I have to do now. A shame that all my shelter-building went to waste, but I have better things to spend my time on anyway. Swinging my backpack over my shoulder and kicking down my pile of twigs, branches and moss, I turn and take a deep breath before beginning my walk through the forest.

Jason "Ace" Dodge – District 6
16:40

My eyes open slowly and for a moment or two, my vision is so blurry I can't see a thing. Then I blink and it clears. I rub my eyes, trying to remember where I am and what's going on.

I must have fallen asleep by this tree, I realize. I swallow and my thirst comes right back, much, much worse. My throat is burning up and hurts now. Now I know why I abandoned my camp in the first place.

It's a miracle nobody's found me yet, but that doesn't matter, because I'm still extremely vulnerable. I slowly climb to my feet, my head aching, feeling dizzy and nauseous. Through the haze of my thoughts, I try to remember how many days a human can survive for without water. Three? Four? Whatever it is, I need to act fast. How long have I been asleep for anyway? It feels like at least two days, but surely I would be dead by now, either discovered by someone else or killed by dehydration.

I stumble along through the thick trees, barely paying attention to where I'm going. It's because of this that I suddenly find myself stuck tight and unable to move. Twisting as hard as I can, I realize what's happened.

I'm stuck in one of the giant webs. Shit.

I begin to twist again, as vigorously and with as much strength as I can, but I know I won't be able to get loose. Every movement seems to entangle me even more. My heart pounding, I look around desperately for something to free myself with. A sharp stone or branch? A piece of bark? When nothing catches my eye, I try to claw at the web with my fingers, but this just causes them to stick to the silky net as well.

I pause, panting, and that's when I hear the clicking.

No.

Out of the undergrowth, something absolutely terrifying is approaching me. With eight long legs, a massive body and sharp pincers, it nears me and then stops.

Click. Click.

I close my eyes as the spider crawls onto the web and begins to spin. I know there's no escape now. I'm either going to die of dehydration or be eaten by a giant spider. I have to give up. There's nothing I can do.

The first strand of sticky silk wraps around my arms and I see the spider moving around the web, clearly trying to wrap me up like a fly.

This is my end. I know it. The feeling of helplessness is horrible, but all I can do is stand here and let the spider spin its web around me.

Vita Sairne – District 9
17:36

I jump slightly at the sound of a cannon ringing out across the arena. I wonder who died. Hopefully someone who's my competition, though I doubt it. Anyone who's dying on Day 2 can't be that much of a survivalist.

I've been trying to find Corren for most of the day now, but he's still nowhere to be seen and despite my frequent rests, I'm exhausted. I didn't get much sleep last night after seeing the boy from 8's face in the sky. I keep thinking about how I killed him, that I should have been more humane…

But I can't afford to think about dead tributes. I sit down on a fallen log and take off my backpack, pulling out the last piece of bread that I have. While finding food will be an issue, at least I have plenty of water. I take out the large bottle and drink a bit before eating the bread. I need some time to think carefully about my plans.

I've just finished my snack when I hear a high-pitched voice come from the trees to my right. Jumping up, I push my water into my bag and grab my knife, glancing around for a place to hide. Seeing no other options, I dive behind the log and flatten myself to the ground.

I wait there for a few minutes until a rustling sound catches my attention and footsteps crunch on the pine needles nearby. A lower voice sounds. "This looks like a good place to stop. Tier, can you take the bread out?"

Tier? Who's that? It's obviously another tribute, but who? By the sounds of things, there's only two of them, but they might be armed and they still outnumber me. I grip my knife, my palms suddenly sweaty. I need to escape, and fast.

Then, before I can do anything, I see a shape looming above me. I look up to see the boy from 3 staring down at me, a picture of shock on his face. "N-Nine?" he gasps.

I sit up quickly and scramble backwards, my mind going wild. What am I going to do? Should I attack him? I raise my knife, holding it up. "I'm armed!" I say quickly.

A girl approaches, her eyes wide, and I recognize her as the female tribute from 3. Aren't they brother and sister? More likely to fight together…

"Tier, stay back," The boy says, holding out his arm. I see now that there's backpack straps on his shoulders. I want that bag.

"If we don't hurt you, you don't hurt us, OK?" The boy says. My heart slows a little as I realize he's harmless. Or not. Maybe it's a well-planned trick.

"Why should I trust you?" I ask. I need to get out of here and find Corren. That was why I was here in the first place.

"Because if we wanted to hurt you, we would have done so already," the boy tells me. He holds out his hand. "I'm Jai, and this is my sister Tierney. You might remember us."

Still mistrustful, I take his hand and haul myself to my feet. The girl watches me carefully, still not speaking. "Why are you helping me?" I ask him. I need more answers. This is suspicious.

Jai glances at Tierney. "Well, we don't have any weapons. There's nothing else to do. And you're the one who isn't attacking, even with that knife in your hand."

I glance at the weapon, then raise it slowly. I can't trust these two, so I need to get out of here. They're my enemies. This is the Hunger Games.

"I'm not making an alliance," I say warningly. "I-I'm already looking for someone. Anyway, this is my camp, so I suggest you clear off before I do attack you!"

"Jai, she's bluffing," The girl whispers.

I glare at her, then at Jai. "Fine. You know what? I'm going," I say.

But…no. I can't just leave. It was the same with the boy from 8 – only one of us is coming out alive, and I plan on it being me.

Tierney Zenon – District 3
17:56

I breath a small sigh of relief as the girl turns and starts to walk away. I glance at Jai, ready to go back to the log, when suddenly a loud thwack comes from somewhere near me and I see Jai's expression turn into one of horror.

That's when the pain starts, and I look at my arm and the girl's knife is sticking out of it.

I look up and the girl is sprinting away, her backpack bouncing on her shoulders. I give a squeal of shock and terror as blood starts to flow down my arm, dripping off my fingers and onto the ground. "Jai?" I manage.

He's in shock too, but in a second he swings off his backpack and rifles around, before I say, "No, we don't have any bandages!"

Jai looks at me, then grabs my shoulder and wrenches out the knife. I scream, then cover my mouth quickly, tears forming in my eyes. Oh God, oh God, I don't know what to do. "Jai, how are we going to stop the blood?" I ask, now panicking. I'm going to die, I'm going to die!

He wastes no time in ripping off a piece of his jacket, then pulls out the thin rope we have and bites off a piece with his teeth. Wrapping the cloth around my wound, he ties it with the rope and holds it in place for a few minutes.

"That absolute bitch..." he whispers, and I realize he's referring to the girl. "There was no reason for her to do this. No reason. We were just trying to help, right?"

"Jai, do you think she was trying to kill me?"

"Yeah, maybe. She might have been aiming for your head or heart. Whichever it was, her aim is shit. Thank God."

I bite my lip as Jai releases his hold on my arm. The blood has quickly soaked through the cloth, but I suppose there's nothing we can do about it.

"Am I going to die?" I whisper. I'm so scared. I don't want to die this soon.

"You'll only die if it gets infected or if you lose too much blood," Jai says, clearly trying to remain calm himself. "You're fine. You're fine."

I wonder if he's trying to reassure himself more than me.

And that, my dear readers, was Day 2 pt 2! Hope you all enjoyed it, and sorry again for the long wait.

17th – Jason "Ace" Dodge – despite being a fairly skilled tribute, Jason, like many other tributes, just wasn't cut out for the Games. He could have had a chance, but dehydration and the giant webs eventually got the better of him. Thanks again to Zephyrme for submitting him.

Questions:

1. Thoughts on the Careers' shaky alliance?

2. Do you think Vita and Corren will eventually find each other? Do you think Camelia and Zach will ever find each other?

3. Do you think Tierney and Zachary, as our two wounded tributes, will be able to survive?

~Sky~